Playing With Her Heart by Lauren Blakely
When you’re acting the role of a lifetime, how can you know if love is real—or all just a part of the show?
Twenty-three year old rising theatre star Jill McCormick has built a life out of pretending. Pretending she’s happy, pretending her long-distance crushes add up to something real, pretending she’s not haunted by the dark secret that shattered her world six years ago. Cast in her first Broadway show, she desperately needs to keep her façade intact, but that’s before she comes face to face with her devastating new boss…
Hot-shot director Davis Milo knows the first rule of directing: never fall for your leading lady. Captivated by Jill’s raw talent, he fights his feelings, but watching Jill on-stage with another man is more than his jealous streak can take. Keeping things professional isn’t an option. He wants all of her.
Soon the ingénue and her director are staying late in the empty theatre, their private rehearsals spiraling into new, forbidden territory. Caught up between fiction and reality, Jill struggles to find the truth in all their staged kisses. But how can she be sure that what she feels is real, and not a part of the play? And when two people spend their lives pretending, what happens after the final curtain falls?
5 out of 5 stars
Fantastically written story that pulled me in. It made me feel happy, it was compelling, and intense. I loved the characters, how they developed and grew. When they were playful with one another it was wonderful and when it was serious it was so emotional. I loved it all!
I think Jill McCormick and Davis Milo are great characters. From the start I’m curious about both of them and their pasts. Davis is drawn to Jill and her to him but they both seem to be in major denial even though the pull they have on one another is obvious. As the story moves along, the two of them together is intense. I think everything unfolds perfectly and really enjoyed it. I was captured by Jill and Davis, their romance, and how they came together.
I really enjoyed the fact that this story is written from different POV’s. I always think it’s fun to see a woman through a guys point of view. I also liked the fact that Davis only has eyes for Jill. He is so darn sweet and I had a few awwww moments while reading. I loved the fact that he was possessive in a loving way and not a caveman way. I enjoyed Jill’s POV’s as well, watching her grow and come to terms with her past. She was so guarded for so long, opening up truly made her stronger in the end.
There were a lot of hot scenes, there’s a nice build. Davis sure has a way with words – he’s a talker, he’s got a nice yet dirty mouth *cough*. I like how the sex scenes are written, they didn't seem cheesy or overdone.
There was also some series subject matter in this book and I thought it was artfully woven. I thought it was gripping and relevant. The foreshadowing for it was well written also.
Perfect mix of drama and lightheartedness. I was completely absorbed!
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.